Pune: Online fraudsters allegedly cheated a Hadapsar-based retired bank manager (72) of Rs39.74 lakh by promising him good returns through online share trading.The retired man lodged a complaint with the Kalepadal police on Friday. The cheating took place between July and Sept this year. According to the FIR, the complainant trades shares using his and his wife’s demat accounts.In July, the complainant was scrolling through social media when he came across an advertisement promising high returns through online share trading. He clicked on the advertisement, following which his phone number was added to a group on a messaging application. The group members discussed the high returns they had earned through online share trading and thanked the group administrator for his valuable tips.“The complainant contacted the group administrator and expressed interest in trading shares. The administrator advised him to invest in high-value shares rather than lower-value ones and asked him to download a mobile application. The suspects also shared several bank account numbers with the complainant and asked him to transfer money to those accounts, promising to buy shares on his behalf,” an officer said.The complainant transferred Rs39.74 lakh to these bank accounts over two months. The mobile application showed a profit of Rs2.53 crore. When he decided to sell the shares and realise the profit, the suspects did not allow him to do so. He then realised that he had been cheated and approached the police.
